On December 7, 2020, St. Peter’s Health made the following statement on its website:
“Numerous concerns about the care Dr. Tom Weiner provided to patients have been brought to the attention of St. Peter’s Health Administration. The issues we have identified include the following: harm that was caused to patients by receiving treatments, including chemotherapy, that were not clinically indicated or necessary; failure to meet state and federal laws associated with the prescribing of narcotics; failure to refer patients to other specialists for appropriate treatments; and failure to meet requirements associated with clinical documentation.”
St. Peter’s Health’s online statement went on to state that oncologist Dr. Thomas Weiner was “decisively removed from patient care as soon as there was proof that patients were harmed” and that “[t]he magnitude of Dr. Weiner’s violations is staggering.”
The Helena Independent Record has published numerous articles regarding this matter.
In response to a preliminary injunction filed by Dr. Thomas Weiner, Helena hospital St. Peter’s Health has filed court documents regarding oncologist Dr. Thomas Weiner. The court documents filed by St. Peter’s Health include the following allegations against Dr. Weiner:
- “Dr. Weiner’s care has been established as substandard.”
- “patients have not only been harmed by Dr. Weiner’s actions, but at least one patient has died directly as a result.”
- “there is a concerning number of patients whose care was substandard and inappropriate.”
- “there is evidence of imminent danger to patients and evidence Plaintiff is incapable, incompetent, and not qualified to practice at SPH.”
- “there are serious concerns about the safety and welfare of patients under Plaintiff’s care and Plaintiff is a danger to his patients.”
- “Dr. Weiner’s chemotherapy treatment for Patient 1 who did not have cancer, resulted in that patient’s death.”
- “he treated Patient 1 with highly toxic chemotherapy for more than a decade, resulting in the patient’s demise.”
- “Regrettably, the hospital and cancer center where Patient 1 received end-of-life treatment conducted an autopsy after Patient 1 passed. That autopsy concluded Patient 1 did not have the cancer that Dr. Weiner claimed to be treating, and the records reveal Dr. Weiner never conducted a biopsy to confirm his conclusory, albeit inaccurate, cancer diagnosis. As a result, a cancer free member of society died from the toxicity caused by the unnecessary cancer treatment and chemotherapy he received at Dr. Weiner’s hands for a disease Patient 1 never had according to the treating facility and autopsy report.”
- “several additional patient care concerns were brought to light by the other medical providers caring for Dr. Weiner’s previous patients. This includes 2-3 locum tenens oncologists seeing cancer patients in the CTC and primary care providers seeing patients who did not have an active cancer diagnosis.”
- “As the Court can see, issues related to patient care included whether the ongoing treatment being provided by Dr. Weiner was even necessary; lack of testing to properly diagnose cancer subtypes and ensure that the chemotherapy ordered was appropriate; little to no documentation of physical exams, assessments or medications prescribed; and patients not understanding why they were being treated.”
- “Dr. Weiner’s opioid practices are also startling.”
- “He has not appropriately followed opioid prescribing practices.”
- “In his practice, Dr. Weiner has historically reported seeing and treating a disproportionately large number of patients.”
- “SPH attempted to recruit and retain additional medical oncologist to share the patient load with Dr. Weiner, but he repeatedly rejected potential candidates or insisted that he did not need a partner. See Declaration of Dr. Todd Wampler. It appears Dr. Weiner wanted to maintain his monopoly on medical oncology in Helena.”
Dr. Weiner has denied the allegations made against him and filed his own suit against the hospital. Some of his previous patients have filed a class-action lawsuit of their own against his removal from his position at the hospital.
The attorneys at Hoyt & Blewett PLLC have decades of experience handling medical malpractice claims. Our firm is investigating this matter and our lawyers are willing to speak with any patients or family members who may have concerns or relevant information. If you or a loved one suspects they are victims of medical malpractice involving chemotherapy or radiation, have been misdiagnosed with cancer, have been wrongly given chemotherapy or radiation or have been harmed by a negligent oncologist, contact our lawyers online or at (406) 233-1302 today.